The region of British Columbia where we live, the Okanagan Valley, is amongst the sunniest corners of the whole country...during the summer that is. Once the last jack-o-lanterns come down in early November, like much of the world, the Okanagan usually slumps into a pattern of greyness, bleakness, snow, chilly winds, and very little light of any sort to speak of for the next several months. Save that is, for the those very rare, very wonderful days when the sun - almost as if by magic - decides to spring out and bestow its goodness and warmth on us, if only for a few short hours.

That is precisely what happened one afternoon right around the start of the month. On that day, both Tony and I had some medical lab work that we needed to done (side note, but - and I've had a ton of blood work over the years, my dears, let me tell you - on that day, I had the most blood I'd ever had drawn at one time taken, twelve vials; I was almost surprised I didn't feel woozy afterwards) so we popped out to take of care that bright and early.

Afterwards we dropped by to visit my mom and ended up spending several absolutely lovely hours at her house (noshing on olives, baked potato chips, and scrumptious coconut marshmallows), which is where the snaps in today's post were taken (not since last Thanksgiving has the weather been cooperative enough to shoot on my parents deck).

The light that day was resplendent. I don't use that word loosely, it truly was stunning. I didn't retouch the lighting or background in these photos one iota, what you see, if precisely what mother nature was blessing us with that day. It was the kind of light that one wishes they could put in a bottle and pull out time and time again, always on hand for rainy and snowy days, to warm the soul and provide an illuminated, gorgeous backdrop for any occasion.

And speaking of beautiful things, isn't the stained glass I'm standing beside on my parents' deck incredible? My mom scored it one Saturday last year while we were out yard saling for an incredible deal (she paid at the very most, a tenth of what it would have cost new), and it now stands out as one of her favourite garage sale finds of ever. Given that it matched my top here perfectly, there was no way I could pass up posing with it.

Knowing I'd be needing to wear something that would allow for easy arm vein access, I went with an understated, elegant eggplant hued thin knit (which, I realized about two seconds after we left the house, has a tiny hole near the bottom hem, so from here on out, I'll be wearing it tucked in to hide that fact), my trusty black 50s velvet pencil skirt, grey tights, a fabulous (recently purchased) 30s/40s black velvet feathered adorned hat, and one of my all-time favourite brooches.

As you guys know, I absolutely, positively adore brooches! As my collection has continued to expand, it's started to break into subcategories, one of which includes vintage Austrian glass fruit brooches.

Should you happen to be a fan of these particular charming vintage pins, then you know that - retail at least - they don't come cheap these days. Depending on the condition, type of fruit depicted, and rarity, it's not uncommon to see such pins (or pin sets, which usually include a brooch and a pair of matching earrings) sell in the range of $30 to $125+.

Though I've heard tales of folks finding Austrian fruit brooches (most of which were produced in the 1940s-60s) for fifty cents or a dollar secondhand over the years, much as with Bakelite jewelry, I have yet to ever encounter any in person, let alone for those kinds of rock bottom prices. My wee little collection of Austrian glass fruit jewelry has all purchased online, primarily from eBay, and currently contains around five pieces, amongst which this marvelous blue and purple berry brooch is definitely one of my favourites.

This piece was not inexpensive by any means, but as it was my Christmas present to myself last year, I didn't mind splurging on something that I'd wanted for years and which I knew would instantly become a heirloom worthy treasure in my jewelry collection. To say that I love it to pieces would be a major understatement. This brooch is so, so cute and darling, while simultaneously projecting an air of classic elegance.

It makes me smile every time I wear or even just look at it, reminding me of the raspberries and blackberries my grandparents grew by the bucketful in their backyard garden when I was a little girl. It's sweet, fun, and completely pretty, and I'm sure that you'll see if featured here in other vintage outfits as time goes on.

A rare moment of enchantingly perfect winter light, a darling vintage Austrian berry brooch, spending time with my mom, these are the simple pleasures that bring me joy and make so very grateful for every day, no matter if they're sunny or not.

101 comments:

Wow! You look fabulous! I love every part of this outfit so it's hard to even start discussing it. The brooch, of course, is special. The hat, too. And I love how your gloves match your tights. Total success. And it's always nice to see your sweet face. :)

You look so beautiful Jessica. And your hat, it's truly divine!I love these brooches and a friend sent me one she'd picked up in a job lot of costume jewellery, which was so kind of her. Mine has strawberries and I had never seen the like of one of these pieces of jewellery before, so was fascinated by it. I did actually see a pair of earrings in the 'cheap' area of my favourite antique shop (I believe they were about £1.50) but the colours were so faded and simply looked a dull frosted grey, and nowhere was the magic I saw in my strawberry one, so I left them behind.

I'm so glad that you decided to touch on Austrian fruit glass pins. I love these. I have one little pear pin that I found cheap on ebay. But, you are so right, they get quite expensive! Your glass pin is just heavenly! It really adds to the glamour of your outfit. I love the way that the sun reflects light off your pin. These pins were made for tops such as yours:) I'd love to see pictures of your other pins too. I can't believe you found those fabulous shoes at Walmart! I would never have guessed.

How fabulous is that hat! There is always that risk especially when buying a feather hat if you would like it. It looks so lovely with your outfit. Lovely ensemble dear Jessica:)

Thank you very much, my darling friend. I'm planning on revealing my (wee little) vintage Austrian glass fruit brooch over time in a series of outfit posts here, with new ones occurring if I happen to aquire more of these stellar vintage pins. I love that you're a fan of them, too, and a have a pair one. So cute! I have a pear one, too - it was actually one of the better priced Austrian fruit pins I've found so far (still retail, but on the more reasonable side of things).

Feather hats are one of my favourite styles! I wish I had a hundred of them in my collection - who knows, maybe on distant day I will. It's true though that with any vintage hat you buy online, you never quite know how it's going to look on you in person once it arrives. I've had surprisingly good luck over the years in this regard, but did pick up one little creamy white hued vintage hat last year that doesn't fit quite right. I think I'll sell it at some point.

I bought these shoes (which are super comfy!) years ago at Wal-Mart, and don't think they cost me more than $20. They instantly became one of the most frequently worn pairs in my collection. I've partnered them with everything from cocktail dresses to my vintage dirndl-esque dress for Oktoberfest last year. They're so cute and versatile - I couldn't imagine not having them to turn when getting dressed.

I really love that jumper! Great colour, and the brooch is just perfect on it. I have a thing about knitwear at the moment, it's so cold here in Wales it's all I think about... I thrifted a nice pale blue jumper recently.P x

You look absolutely stunning! And that delicious light just makes you glow . :) I really like plum on you, it brings out your eyes. Very nice. And that hat! *faint* ADORE! What a beautiful broach, the glass fruit looks like the hard candy we bought in Paris. :)

Question: do you ever lose your pins in the winter when you are wearing a coat OVER them? In other words, does the coat knock them off of your sweater? How do you deal with the multiple layers? I ask this because I tend to avoid wearing broaches during the winter -- when I really should be wearing them -- because I'm deathly afraid of my coat knocking them off. Do you have a secret to share?

Thank you very much for your wonderfully nice compliment and great question, dear gal. I'm so happy you asked about this, because I do indeed have a solution that I use just for this pesky problem (or really do hold any brooch in place - an often important step, as many have loose clasps).

I came up with the idea a few years ago to use super small clear elastic bands (on per brooch), looped around the semi-circle/round part of the clasp (sort of like a layer of removable tape, if that makes sense). I do this often with my brooches and have yet to loose a single one, no matter how many layers I put over top. The ones I used came from the dollar store, I think, but you should be able to find Goody's version almost anywhere that sells hair accessories (http://www.goody.com/Products/Hair_Accessories/Ouchless_Mini_Latex_Elastics_-_Clear).

My pleasure, honey! I've thought before in passing that I should mention this technique in a blog post, and definitely will (complete with a snap or two) in the future. Thanks again for the great question - always happy to try and help anyway I can.

For sure, dear Joanna, thanks for your interest in this method too. I'm more than happy to oblige and will take a couple of snaps of this easy-as-pie way of securing brooches once I'm over the flu and feeling well enough to do so. I'll (tentatively) either devote a little post to that topic unto itself, or include it as part of March's month in review post come the end of the month.

Thank you very much, sweet dear! This is one of my all-time favourite colours (and I'd say, my favourite shade of purple). I'd love to find a 40s/50s vintage or repro dress in this elegant aubergine shade one day.

Awww, thanks, I was honestly surprised I didn't feel a bit lightheaded afterwards. Even the lab tech commented on how much blood it was to take at one time, but I needed a big slew of tests this time around, so there was no getting around parting with that much blood. I think the yummy coconut marshmallows we had later that day at my mom's house helped revive my energy levels post "blood letting" :D

Purple suits you perfectly! And that hat! I think this has to be one of my favorite outfits of yours so far :) The brooch is beautiful as well, I think I have never seen one of them before. Off to ebay I go ;)

Hi sweet Dakota, thank you very much. I've chatted about my hat collection before here in various posts, but haven't given it its own solo post yet. I don't have a date for it at this point, but am planning one for later this year featuring photos of the wall I devoted to housing my vintage chapeaus. Can't wait to share more of my collection with you.

Soooo true! This brooch does look like a yummy gummy fruit candy. I love those - totally craving them now! :)

Hi Jessica!You look lovely! The brooch is so pretty. What a beautiful view from the deck, aren't mountains so peaceful to look at? I lived in Idaho and moved to Pennsylvania because of my husband's job. How I miss the beauty of the western USA! I'm not very fond of being back here. Maybe someday I'll head back west.Love your look though...you always look wonderful. Have a lovely day!

Thank you very much, sweet April. My parents have such a terrific view from their deck. It looks gorgeous no matter the time of the year (and is one of my fave spots to shot snaps anywhere in town).

You know how some people say that they need to be around the sea? I've always, always felt like I need to have mountains around me (as they always were no matter where I lived in B.C. while growing up). During times when I lived in places (such as Dublin, Ireland) that didn't have mountains surrounding the town/city, I truly missed them and couldn't wait to live somewhere with lofty hills once more.

-Markham and North York (both part of the Greater Toronto Area), Ontario

-Dublin and Clonakilty, Co. Cork, Ireland

My favourite city that I've lived in is definitely Calgary, Ab. My favourite province, British Columbia, and I absolutely love Penticton, B.C., where we currently live and where I spent several years of my youth. Because my family moved around a bit when I was growing up, I don't really feel like I have a true hometown, but Penticton is as close as I'll ever come, which all the more reason that it will always have a special place in my heart.

Thank you very much, dear Kathleen! It's the new vintage hat I mentioned I'd bought a while in one of my comments on your blog. I've been so excited to photograph it and share it with you, my fellow chapeau loving lady.

I wholeheartedly appreciate that, Kathleen, thank you very much. By all means feel free to share a link to that pin, or your Pinterest account in general, here if you'd like for others who aren't already following you there to learn about your boards.

You look great Jessica! That hat really compliments you. I love the Austrian glass brooch but like you said they are a bit pricey. We've also had some nice sunny days. It seems that winter is on the way out for us.

This is probably my avourite vintage outfit yoou have shared! And there have been some very good ones. I love everything about this and think it would translate well to a painting. The Raven Plume hat is wonderful, appeals to my dark side, and the shoes are so pretty. Goes so well with the purple. The grey gloves and tights to match give it all a Dutch Masters look. Finally .... that brooch - fabulous! You are so lucky to have sun there too, one of my favourite things about winter is what I call, 'the dark bright winter' and you have it! Lovely. Minerva ~

That spot is definitely perfect for a photoshoot. And you look lovely as usual. Pretty in purple. :) I'm so sorry to hear you were nearly drained of your blood. I hope they didn't hurt you. I always feel like they are literally trying to stab me.

Thank you very much, honey! I've had some brutal experiences with lab work over the years, but thankfully the technician this time was quite skilled (plus she was friendly and chatty while drawing the blood, which always helps put my naturally anxious mood at ease) and it didn't really hurt beyond the initial little poke (thankfully!).

Thank you very much, dear Janey! Honestly, there doesn't seem to be all that much info out there about these vintage glass fruit brooches. I've been trying to learn as much as I can about them, and think that one day I may devote a post just to this specific type of brooch to share what little knowledge I've unearthed about them with other interested collectors.

You always look like you are having such FUN in your photo-shoots; it makes me want to take part. I even sometimes think of you and your photos just as I lay my head upon my pillow at night. I think you and your blog are splendid. :)

I am always amazed at how you, there in that land of cold, can be out in that weather to take photos without a coat!

Thank you so much, sweet Hope, what an awesomely nice comment. I'm touched to know you think of my blog and I sometimes. This day was warmer than most in recent months (I think it was about 3C that afternoon), but there have been so very, very chilly outfit shoots this winter (one of which will be appearing here in March). I'm not opposed to wearing a coat in a shoot of course, but I do prefer to go without so that my outfit gets to be the star of the show. :)

This outfit is absolutely bang on perfect! It's right up my alley - simple, sophisticated, with a nice millinery flourish - and you look fabulous in it! That brooch is absolutely exquisite too. I think this rates as one of my favourite of your outfits I've seen. Perhaps knowing that you looked amazing helped steel your constitution for having all that blood taken...?

Love the whole outfit! Everything is beautiful, especially that color of purple on you. I know it is thrifted, but is it a Loft piece? It looks like a brown one my daughter has...also thrifted! The things you can get a thrift store are mind-boggling. I just bought a brand-new (never worn, tags still on it) Talbots dress for $6!! It's black with tiny white polka dots, gathered at the waist, with a full skirt. Looks very vintage-esque to me. Anyhow, I adore thrift stores.

The stained glass is gorgeous!! Though not as much so as the woman standing next to it!!

My area is relatively the same as yours. Nary a cloud in the sky from May through September, but October through April are bleak and virtually devoid of sunshine and blue sky. So, I understand the joy on those rare days when the grayness takes a vacation.

Wow, 12 vials of blood! You deserved (and probably needed) a huge filet mignon afterwards. I don't like steak, but I assume the red meat would give you the iron of a few vials of blood anyhow.

Thanks for always sharing your beautiful vintage wardrobe. You are an inspiration.

You always leave such splendidly nice comments, dear Patti, thank you very much. This stained glass is amazing! The person my mom bought it from at a yard sale last year was actually selling two similar ones that day. My mom debated buying both in the moment, but ultimately decided on just getting one. As the day wore on, she kept thinking about it so we returned to the yard sale, but as we all ("we" being Tony, my mom, and I) suspected, it was long gone. The seller was asking a mere song for both, so it's just amazing that my mom got one (it was a jam packed yard sale) there.

You look lovely :) I absolutely LOVE sunny days in winter. Not that they are uncommon here in Virginia, but when you grow up in England, sun is always nice LOLI even have the windows open today, and the birds are trying to convince me it is spring. Not yet dear birdies- just a couple of weeks though!The stained glass IS lovely though. And I am glad that a harrowing start to a day, ended up being a lovely day!

You look darling :)Wouldn't it be amazing to have bottled sunshine for dreary grey days. I would love to find a strawberry brooch and Im not going to lie I would probably wear it when I go strawberry picking, which I am SO excited for. :)

Thank you very much, honey! I adore matching my accessories - especially brooches - with various events, too, and would sooo wear a strawberry brooch to go strawberry picking, too. I have such a soft spot for berries in my heart because of a Berry Festival that was held in Abbotsford when I lived there as a little girl (it might still take place annually, I'm honestly not sure, we left the Lower Mainland shortly before my ninth birthday).

I hope you find a fabulous strawberry brooch this year, sweet gal - if I can ever be of help to you in tracking one down, please don't hesitate to let me know.

The whole outfit is adorable! The colours look so beautiful together, and on you. This might be my favourite outfit of yours ever, certainly in the top ten. I have to say you look radiant, who would have thought you had all those blood tests that day! As for the brooch, I can certainly see why you had to buy it. I love the sparkly quality and the way the colours shimmer into each other. I think you will find many occasions to wear it :) You and your fantastic photographer have really succeeded in capturing the sparkle of that lovely day!

You're so wonderfully sweet, thank you very much, dear Philippa. It's such a joy to have a husband with a passion, and talent, for photography. He takes pretty much all of my outfit photos, I do any minor editing/cropping/etc that may be needed, and the end result is what you see here. It's a great team effort that we both thoroughly enjoy.

Hi Jessica, what a cute outfit! I love the brooch of course but I also love that sweater! You must have one fabulous wardrobe.I hope everything is OK, that was a lot of blood to have drawn! Moms always to the rescue... be it coconut marshmallows (yum!) or just a pat on the hand to confirm everything is going to be alright! :DHugs,Beth P

Hello dear Beth, thank you very much for your caring, lovely comment and compliments. For the most part, the blood work I had done was my usual lot of tests (just part and parcel to life with multiple chronic illnesses), plus a few additional ones this time around.

For sure, there's nothing like a mom's love, sweet treats and companionship to brighten any day.

Well, as always, Jessica, you've outdone yourself. Perfectly put together. But i think THIS is my favorite outfit of yours yet! I especially love your hat and brooch. But it's all wonderful! It really is. And it's nice to see snow in your pics. I wouldn't mind a little of that here, instead of all this rain!

Just like everyone, I'm finding it difficult to pin point what do I like most! I had to think hard and I think it's your hat! But gosh that brooch and those gloves are beautiful beautiful! I always look back to your outfits to find inspirations in accessorising - you are such a beautiful vintage lady!

in love this outfit from the hat to toe ;). the mix of colours is so great: grey, purple and black go so well together. the brooch is a wonderful find. i can't get enough of looking of your pictures!!!

I wonder if you get tired of me writing how lovely you look? But you do! Your winter weather sounds exactly like our Danish winter weather, and we've also just had sunshine yesterday, so I rushed out to photograph new items for my Etsy shop. :) All Danes smile more when the sun shines. May I ask what is your illness? I've read you are cronically ill and often in pain and it makes me sad to hear. I'm glad you appreciate the simple pleasures in life. If you don't want to answer I fully understand. Have a lovely day and let's hope to get more sunshine soon. :)

Never, my sweet dear, thank you very, very much for every one of the touching, immensely sweet compliments you shower on me. I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate every one of them.

Regarding my health, I actually have more than a dozen different chronic illnesses. Up until I was 18 years old, I was a fairly healthy person, but then, in incredibly rapid succession, I began developing life altering chronic illnesses and my health completely fell apart. Now more than a decade on, I'm still here, battling with all of them day in and day, and am just incredibly grateful for the positives in my life (like this blog and my wonderful online friends) that help counterbalance my health problems.

yummie!beautiful brooch. cute girl :-)this brooch looks like the bohemien ones around here. jablonez is famous for its cristal and rhinestone manufakturs. the "swarowskis" origin from bohemia for example....

You look so ravishing that even the greys of winter shade are blushing my dear....beautiful photos! I love that top with the cute brooch! I can't begin to tell you how much this post has brought a mixture of thoughts into my mind. I definitely understand the feelings....good and bad. Three years ago I was forced to have my first blood test and discovered I have a thyroid condition...then followed almost two years of blood tests, hospitals and medication...for one who fears needles and squirms at the sight of blood it was not an easy ordeal. Thankfully all is under control now. I hope your condition will improve and may you be blessed with good health in the coming year. Take care my dear girl!May xxwww.walkinginmay.com

Thank you very much, sweet dear! I completely agree, a lovely brooch can add so much to an ensemble. They can be a focal point or complimentary note, eye-catching or understated, but they're always a beautiful touch to any look.

You had said you had some pretty Austrian fruit pieces and I'm so glad I get to see one of them today! This one is quite lovely and I can plainly see why you would choose to gift yourself this piece. -JamieChatterBlossom

Hello my lovely dears, thank you all very much for your immensely nice comments and compliments on this outfit post. It was such a delight to have snaps taken outdoors in some honest-to-goodness sunshine to share with all of you again.

What beautiful pictures...the light really does look divine and I can almost feel the sun on your face and the crispness of the air in them. I love that colour in general (and on you especially) one of my Laura Ashley pieces is in the same colour and they call the colour Itailan Plum- quite fitting for you really, considering your husbands heritage! I'm adoring that hat on you too! xx Shauna

wow as a mad hat lover i absolutely adore this beauty of a hat you are wearing here! so stunning! and i´m austrian but i never found anything beautiful like your fruit brooches in any local vintage shop :(love and kiss,mary

Hum, I meant to comment on this much earlier (I had it open in a tab to remind myself!) but apparently I forgot to. I absolutely love your berry brooch, it fairly glows from within. The whole color combo is delightful, I'll have to take a cue from your eggplant, black, and grey ensemble. And that HAT is to die for! I love the green sheen to the feathers.

(And I must say, I've nearly forgotten that you're wearing a wig! It looks so natural and lush, and you look so happy and confident.)

Thank you very much, sweet Frances - what an immensely lovely comment (compliment!). You're right, bathed in the soft winter sunlight, this brooch does almost appear to be lit from within (yet another reason to love it!).

Hi Tracy, thank you for your comment. It's always lovely to know how a new visitors discovered my blog. I have an Austrian pear brooch as well (it was one of the first Austrian fruit brooches I tried to add to my collection, both because I love eating pears and because they're widely grown in my corner of British Columbia, so I wanted to honour that fact with a beautiful vintage pear brooch) - one of these days I'm sure it will make its online debut in an outfit post here. :)

I'm Jessica, a lifelong lover of all things antique and vintage, especially those from the 1930s, 40s and 50s.

This blog is my visual scrapbook in which I record and share my thoughts on the multitude of sources, people and products that inspire and feed a modern gal's addiction to the past. I also post about the vintage clothes, hairstyles and make-up looks that I adore wearing.

Stay a spell and have a blast as we explore the incomparably fantastic world of vintage history and fashion together.

All images used on this site are credited to their original posters/creators/sources,
however if at any time you would prefer not to see one of your images here, please email me and I'll take it down right away.

PS...I just wanted to say thank you very much for visiting and to tell you that you're equal parts awesome and beautiful.